A wide variety of flood and area lighting fixtures exist to provide illumination of buildings, parking lots, walkways and the like. Such fixtures are frequently mounted high in the air on the walls of buildings where they can only be installed with the assistance of a ladder or aerial lift. Of particular concern, however, is that most lighting fixtures of this type are unwieldy in size, shape and weight, making them extremely difficult to handle when installed. These fixtures also often use mounting brackets that are either unattractive or clash with the appearance of the lighting fixture or its surrounding building.
Installation of a flood or area lighting fixture requires that it first be properly connected electrically to the wiring needed to power the fixture before it is mechanically fastened to the supporting wall mount. Both of these operations can be dangerous, however, when the installation is performed high above the ground from oftentimes only the top of a ladder. Since either operation demands the use of two hands, the installer must find a way to support the fixture upon the ladder near him and yet leave unobstructed the needed workspace. As a result, given the dimensions and weight of the lighting fixture, installation is usually accomplished in a manner contributing undue risk to the worker.
It would be highly desirable therefore to have a mounting apparatus that first fastens the lighting fixture to the apparatus in an easy and efficient manner and afterwards elevates the fixture such that it is above yet adjacent to the workspace needed by the installer for completing the remaining electrical connections. This invention meets these needs and overcomes other problems and shortcomings found in the prior art.